A business, such as a retail store, can be connected to a plurality of network systems for access to customer and business information. For example, a business may be connected to a Point-of-Sale (POS) system that provides accounting (e.g., general ledger accounting) and cash management services. The accounting services can track costs related to inventory, sales revenues, and other accounting figures. The cash management services can manage cash flows, bank deposits, cash drawer reconciliation, and so on. Access to the POS system may be controlled by requiring the entry of login information (e.g., a user identification, a password). Management of the business's inventory may be performed by an inventory system that is separate from the POS system. The inventory system can perform inventory management functions such as inventory ordering, inventory receiving, sales from inventory, returns to inventory, and inventory reordering. Access to the inventory system can also require entry of the appropriate login information, but the login information for access to the inventory system can be different than the login information for access to the POS system.
The business may also accept credit cards for payments of the costs of goods and services. Also, the business may be offering business services such that conducting a credit determination (e.g., a consumer credit evaluation) prior to entering into a service agreement is advantageous. A credit card services system can provide credit card services (e.g., provide credit card authorizations, guarantees of payment, and so forth) to the business. The business may also receive credit information from a credit system prior to making a credit determination. To manage customer accounts, the business may have a customer services system that includes data related to customer accounts, balances, and other customer information. The provision of services (e.g., wireless communications services, Internet access services, communications services, data services) can require activation systems that manage activation of customer accounts. For example, a business providing wireless communications services can have an activation system that manages establishment of billing for wireless service and provisioning of wireless services to a wireless communications device. Access to each of these service systems—e.g., the credit service systems, the customer service system, and the activation system—may be discrete, and each service system can require different login information for access and use of each system.
The use of each of these service systems can individually enhance business productivity, employee productivity and customer satisfaction with respect to each specific service. However, when an employee or customer transaction requires interaction with a plurality of the service systems, there can be errors and inefficiencies. For example, a customer transaction may require establishment of separate transaction sessions with different service systems that can involve entry of distinct login information, rekeying of customer information, rekeying of product and/or service information, and so on.
Inefficiencies can also arise from a service system requirement that there be an operating network communications link between a client terminal (e.g., a POS terminal, a personal computer (PC) at retail establishment) and a server (e.g., a network server, a server of a network data center). The network communications link can provide real-time data communications between the client terminal and the server, and can be a Wide Area Network (WAN) communications link, a Local Area Network (LAN) communications link, an HTTP network communications link (e.g., an Internet communications link), and so forth. Whereas many client terminals are able to operate in an off-line mode (e.g., without an operating network communications link), certain transactions typically require an operating network communications link. For example, credit card service systems typically require a network communications link in order for credit authorization queries and replies. An activation system for provisioning of wireless services can be dependent upon a credit determination that requires receipt at a client terminal of credit information from a credit services system.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for systems and methods that can advantageously provide for integrated processing of information from a plurality of data systems.